The present invention relates to paper processing devices and systems, and more particularly to status indicators for inserter machines.
The overall size of the latest and fastest inserter machines makes it highly desirable to have operator controls and indicators visible from all areas of the inserter. However, the use of trouble lights, such as simple red lamps, that light up whenever there is a problem in a particular area of a feeder are insufficient to describe the problem adequately and quickly. For example, a simple red light would not tell anyone if the material supply is merely low, as opposed to the insert supply having a condition where a jam is present or imminent.
Likewise, instead of simple red lamps or in addition to simple red lamps, detailed trouble indicators might be used, containing detailed written explanations on display screens that light up depending upon the type of problem. However, such a display will not quickly alert anyone about the urgency of the problem, until the explanation is read and adequately understood. Consequently, such a trouble indicator will not immediately alert an operator as to the urgency of the problem. When there are more than one written explanation lit up at the same time, the operator will not immediately know which of the explanations are so urgent that they must be read first.
The state of the known technology is exemplified by Hewitt et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,873) for a xe2x80x9cData Card and Mail Inserter System.xe2x80x9d Therein, a horn or other audible sound producing device is caused to sound as a warning for various error conditions. In addition, a message is provided in a display. However, audible sounds for various simultaneous problems would be cacophonous. Even if red lights were used in place of the audible sounds, simple red lights would give no indication of the urgency of the problems, nor would such lights indicate which problem or display the operator should investigate first.
Likewise, the invention of Yates (U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,894) for an xe2x80x9cEnvelope Inserting Apparatusxe2x80x9d discloses an inserter that is provided with a visual and/or aural indicator device to produce a visual and/or aural warning to an operator when an envelope flap is detected as not open at an insertion station. Such a visual warning would read xe2x80x9ccheck stacker,xe2x80x9d or the like. Thus Yates is analogous to Hewitt, and does not help an operator to immediately know how urgent a problem is, or to compare the urgencies of two simultaneous problems.
Another example of known technology is Edens (U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,507) for a xe2x80x9cMail processing system with diagnostic facilities.xe2x80x9d Therein, an external diagnostic device alerts an operator by way of an audible or visible alarm, and the operator can then go to the mail processing apparatus to perform the maintenance work. The external diagnostic device of Edens may comprise a screen, to display the nature of the work to be performed. Once again, this prior patent does not help an operator to immediately know how urgent a problem is, or to compare the urgencies of two simultaneous problems.
The present invention solves many of the problems of the existing technology, by providing a better apparatus and method for determining the status of a high speed inserter. The present inserter includes a number of modules, each having components that are capable of causing the inserter machine to stop, or to function less than optimally, unless attention is provided by a operator with some level of urgency. Each of these inserter components is equipped with at least one condition detection device to detect component conditions, which are then reported to an intermediate module that subsequently provides an urgency category signal to a visual signal device. The component""s visual signal device provides a visual category signal indicating one of at least two urgency categories that differ from zero urgency.
In this way, component conditions are categorized by level of urgency, and an operator can immediately see how urgent a component condition is, without having to read or examine anything. This is especially useful when two or more components are simultaneously experiencing component conditions, and an operator wants to know which component he should go to first.
This method for providing better information to an inserter operator can be broken down into a set of basic steps: detecting a component condition, sending a condition detection signal indicative of the component condition, receiving the condition detection signal, providing an urgency category signal, receiving the urgency category signal, and providing a visual category signal indicative of one of at least two urgency categories that differ from zero urgency. In cases where a particular component will only experience component conditions falling into a single category of urgency, then the step of providing the urgency category signal will basically involve merely passing through the condition detection signal. On the other hand, if the particular component may experience component conditions having a variety of different urgencies, then the step of providing the urgency category signal will depend upon the particulars of the condition detection signal.